Westchester County officials issued a statement on Sunday, Aug. 16, after a rainbow flag was found burned outside a home in Rye in an “act of hatred.”
“The Westchester County Human Rights Commission and the Westchester County LGBTQ+ Advisory Board denounce and condemn the act of hatred committed by a perpetrator who cowardly burned a pride rainbow flag on a homeowner’s private property in Rye earlier this weekend,” officials wrote in a statement.
Officials said that this is the second recent instance in Westchester where private property was burned “based on hate.”
“Hate has no place in Westchester County,” they stated. “The Westchester County Human Rights Commission and the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board call on everyone in the community to speak out against all forms of hatred, bigotry, and intolerance in our community and to come together.
“These acts remind us how much work needs to be done in the struggle for equality and the fight against hate,” officials continued. “The Westchester County Human Rights Commission and the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board value dignity, safety, and mutual respect of all people.”
Anyone who has experienced or witnessed incidents of hate has been asked to contact the Westchester County Human Rights Commission by calling (914) 995-7710 or emailing humanrights@westchestergov.com.
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